


Balancing Act.

by Fishyz9



Series: Balancing Act [1]
Category: Days of Our Lives
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-23
Updated: 2013-02-23
Packaged: 2017-12-03 09:42:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,369
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/696913
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fishyz9/pseuds/Fishyz9
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sonny takes Will ice skating for the first time. Inspired by 22/02/13 episode and the mention of Will sucking at ice skating. Like everyone else, I imagine, the cogs started turning.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Balancing Act.

** Balancing  Act. **

 

“I hate you so much right now.”

I grin. “I thought you loved me?”

“Me too. Turns out I hate you.”

“You are such a baby.”

Will scowls at me. “Well excuse me for having a sensitive equilibrium.” He eases up his death grip on the edge of the rink to gesture at his right ear, and then quickly reaches for the railing again when he wobbles on his feet. “It’s an inner ear thing.”

“It’s a wimp thing.”

He smiles despite himself, shaking his head. “You’re such a jerk. Why am I dating you again?”

I glide close, resting my hands either side of him and lean in, murmuring quietly. “You really need me to remind you?”

He stares at me, the color already in his cheeks deepening as those baby blues watch me. He tries his best to not smile. “I hate you.”

“You said that already.”

“I thought it worth repeating.”

I roll my eyes and push away. “Come on,” I hold my hand out to him. “You’ll love it when you get going.”

“You said that about the rock climbing.”

“For the last time, Will, it was a practice wall.”

“Well then where’s the practice _ice_? Huh?”

I bury my face in my gloved hands, laughing helplessly.

“Maybe there’s something less slippery I can try this on first.” He blinks at me, adorably earnest. “Like…sand? Or grass?”

I let out a deep breath and attempt to control my amusement. “I have the most unadventurous boyfriend ever, you know that?”

He splutters. “Uh, you got me up that stupid, rickety wall.” He points out, so perturbed that I want to kiss him right there. “I drank your gross salty butter tea stuff—”

“Hey,” I point at him. “That’s a working progress.”

 “I grit my teeth like a good boyfriend and let you play me that elevator _musac_ crap…”

My jaw drops open. “You said you liked my music!”

“With the exception of Asteroid Crush, your taste in music sucks.”

Now it’s my turn for mock indignation. I hold my hands out to my sides and shrug. “Alright, you win. Let’s go.”

He looks at me. “Really?”

“Yeah, sure. But good luck getting back by yourself” I say as I glide away casually.

I watch him as he looks back over his shoulder toward the entrance to the ice, a good twenty yards away. I bite the inside of my cheek when I see his eyes go wide with panic.

“Oh my God.” He looks at me as he unconsciously grips the railing tighter. “Sonny, don’t you dare!”

I tip my head back and laugh, unable to help myself. I skate back over to him. I could no more abandon him on the ice then I could chew glass. When I’ve got my chuckling under control I hold both hands out to him. “Come on, just give it a go, I won’t let you fall.”

He looks at my outstretched hands with a little frown, and it suddenly occurs to me that he’s doing this for me. He’s genuinely a little freaked out, but he strapped on the boots and shuffled onto the ice to make me happy. I realize that that’s exactly what I am: happy. I resolve right then to do the same for him. But first…I want him to know how much fun something as simple as ice skating can be.

“Please?”  I try.

He looks up at me and then groans. “No fair.”

“What?”

“Stop it.”

“Stop what?” I laugh.

“You _know_ what.”

“I assure you, I don’t.”

“You’re doing the eye thing.”

I snort. “What eye thing?”

“The eye thing. The thing you do with your eyes.”

“Yes, that’s a _perfectly_ ordinary sentence.”

“Don’t act innocent,” he grins, and then says softly: “You look at me with those big brown eyes and I melt. You know that.”

I’m struck dumb for a few moments, a gentle smile pulling at my lips. “I melt you?” I ask stupidly. I’m so far gone it’s pathetic.

Instead of answering me he looks at my hands, back up at me, and then tentatively loosens his grip on the railing. “Promise you won’t let go?”

“I promise.”  I _so_ promise.

He looks at me dubiously, and I feel a real-life pang in my chest when he bites his lip, reaches out a hand and looks down at his feet to take what can only be described as a tiny little penguin step towards—

“’Scuse me!”

A four foot nothing menace with pigtails unexpectedly whips between us, and it’s with a curse that Will is suddenly flailing. I reach to catch him, but he lunges back for the railing, his left leg sticking out straight as he manages to fling an arm over the rail to dangle there.

“Will!” My concern is almost immediately replaced by the impulse to laugh my balls off. “A-are you—?”

“You promised you wouldn’t let go!”

“Technically I never _had_ you” I say between fits of snorts and laughter which only serves to annoy him further.

“Why is ice skating even a thing? Whose idea was it? I want to know!”

“You know it’s kind of adorable when you get in a grump, right?” I tease, knowing that he hates to be thought of as adorable by me. (Which I find cute. Oh, the irony.)

He grumbles in response and I press my lips together to fight a smile. “Okay, enough of this.” I help him stand straight, and then gently pry his hands away from the railing. “Come on, we’re doing this.”

“Oh crap.” His hands clutch mine impossibly tight as he shuffles awkwardly forward. “Oh crap, oh crap, oh crap…”

“Just…just look at what the other skaters are doing. Push off gently with one foot—yes! Like that. No…outwards, that’s better. And then again with the other…”

“I don’t suppose…” he breaks off when he wobbles dangerously, but we’re only a foot apart and I have a firm hold of his hands. “I don’t suppose you find me flailing around like Bambi sexy by any chance?”

I bark out a laugh and shake my head. “I’m…I’m not sure how to answer that.”

He grins reluctantly. “I think you just did. Damn. And here I was hoping this was going to get me laid.”

I stop coaxing him along and give up. I laugh and just pull him into a hug. “You rock.” I chuckle.

“I do? I was sure you’d think I was boring as hell.” He mumbles into my scarf, hugging me back despite his confusion.

I pull back a little, holding him securely by the forearms. “How could I _ever_ find you boring?”

“Uh, because I suck at all this scary, adventurous stuff?”

I bite my lip, and then lean close to press a soft kiss to his lips.

“What was that for?” He asks, smiling hesitantly.

“First off? Ice skating is not usually considered _adventurous_. But to answer your question, that was because I know this kind of stuff is out of your comfort zone, but that you do it anyway to make me happy. That makes you a really great boyfriend, okay?”

There’s color blooming in his cheeks again, and he presses his lips together in that almost-shy, crooked smile of his as he looks away. “Whatever.” He says, as if it’s nothing, but I can tell I’ve made his day. He clears his throat and then readjusts his grip on my forearms. “Okay, let’s do this. I’m sure this is a life skill that will come in _real_ handy one day.”

“Grump.” I tease, but I couldn’t be happier, and I have a sneaking suspicion that he feels the same way.

All other skaters fade away as we continue in our slow shuffle across the ice. He does improve. Kind of. But it’s the smile on his face as he steadily grows more confident that is the real success. He dares to push off a little harder, taking longer, gliding steps, but still won’t let go of my hand.

“Just out of interest, what are the statistics on severed limbs when it comes to ice skating?”

“ _What_?” I laugh, gripping his one hand tighter when he wobbles.

“Don’t tell me that never happens. I could fall right now, and that little pigtailed monster could glide over here and slice off my fingers. Or a leg.”

“No one has ever lost a limb while ice skating in all the history of all ice skating. Ever. Feel better?”

“But it could happen.”

“No, it really couldn’t. Dweeb.”

“You’re just saying that to make me feel better.”

“I’m really not.”

“Well…if I lose any limbs you’re stitching them back on. Just so you know.”

“Deal.”

“So…what do you think, am I any good?” Even as he asks he wobbles gracelessly.

“Um…yes?” I reply with a good-natured wince.

“Oh, wow. Fill me with confidence why don’t you.”

“You kind of skate like a five year old.” I laugh.

“ _What_? That’s not fair!”

“No. You’re right. I mean, five year olds have potential. So…”

He looks at me, and then bursts out laughing. “Okay, I think I’m ready to try this by myself. Jerk.”

I smile at him. “Really?”

“Yeah.” He hesitantly lets go of my hand, and then adds quickly: “But don’t go too far!”

“I’m right here.” I hover in front of him, skating backwards. He’s busy looking at his feet, but when he looks up he does a quick double take and then grunts in annoyance. “What?” I laugh indignantly.

“Ug, you. Being good at everything. Skating backwards. I bet you can do backflips and shit.”

I laugh. “You’ll be doing this in no time.”

“I wouldn’t be so sure. I’m still trying to master the forwards bit.”

“Sonny!”

We both look up to see Abigail gliding over. Her eyes widen when she sees Will.

“Will? Is that _you_?” she laughs.

“Hey, Abi.”

“Oh my God,” she looks at me. “You so have him wrapped around your little finger.”

“I do not.” I admonish her, not wanting Will to feel as if I have him under the thumb.

“Yeah.” Will pipes up. He wobbles slightly and shoots me an urgent look.  I’m by his side right away, his hand securely in mine. “I am totally here because I want to be.” Will nods to avow his words. It’s a cute lie, but a lie nonetheless.

“Uh huh,” Abigail nods, and then looks over her shoulder when someone calls her name. She waves over two girls. “I’m here with some friends.” The two girls glide easily to a stop beside her. “This is Stacey, and this is Tammy.” She points to each of them.

“Hey” I say, and Will mimics me a second later, giving them an awkward wave. He loses his balance slightly and I press a hand to the small of his back, not wanting him to feel embarrassed.

“Guys,” Abi says to the two girls. “These are my cousins, Sonny and Will.”

“We’re not, uh…” Will gestures between us. “I mean I’m Abigail’s cousin and so is Sonny, but me and Sonny aren’t related in any way.” He clarifies, as if someone had asked.

“Well, it’s nice to meet you.” The girl called Stacey says, and there’s a glint in her eye that I recognize immediately as she moves a little closer to Will, holding out her hand for him to shake. My hand twitches at the small of his back.

“Um, yeah, it’s —”

That’s as far as he gets. I’m not sure what caused it but suddenly he’s flailing, his feet desperately —and unsuccessfully — trying to find purchase. I manage to hook my arms under his armpits just as he’s about to go sprawling, and struggle to get him back upright without laughing.

“I-I’ve got you.” I chuckle, and a quick look at Abi confirms that she isn’t fairing much better as she hides her smile behind her hand.

“You know what?” Will asks when he’s more or less upright again. “Ice skating is stupid! Yeah, I said it! _what_?”

“Oh, Will.” Abi shakes her head, smiling fondly at him. I totally feel the same way.

“I’m not kidding!” He says as he straightens his jacket.  He looks at me. “What ever happened to dinner and a movie on date night, huh?”

I gently cup his angry face, and I’m only sorry that I’m wearing gloves and can’t feel the heat in his skin as I swipe a thumb over his cheek. “Will, it’s only…” I begin, trying to not laugh in his face. “You know what? You’re right. Next date night, you can totally pick where we go.”

He scowls at me, and it honestly makes me weak in the knees.

“Damn straight I do.”

“Oh. My. God.”

We glance over at Stacey who’s staring at us with wide eyes. I have that familiar feeling of wariness whenever someone looks at me and another guy like that, and I brace myself for whatever it is she’s about to say, but it’s the other girl, Tammy, who speaks.

“Are you two…?”

She doesn’t finish the sentence. She doesn’t need to. It’s Abi who answers her.

“They’re dating. Is that a problem?”

“Oh my God,” Stacey repeats. “That is too. _Cute_!”

“What?” Will asks, frowning at her.

“Two hot guys, holding hands, ice skating? I might just _die_.” Stacey practically squeals, and honestly? I think I’d half prefer homophobia.

“Um, okay.” Will says uncertainly, and then looks at Abi. “So…your friends are kind of weird.”

“To be fair, you two really are all sorts of adorable together.”

“Were you expecting that?” Will asks me quietly.

I shake my head no.

“Well, it was nice to meet you and everything, but —whoa! _Crap_ , Sonny!”

I catch him with a grunt this time, his chest pressed to mine. I quickly take hold of his hips as he scrambles to hold onto my shoulders. Will is really, _really_ bad at ice skating as it turns out. “Okay, maybe it’s time we call it a day and —”

We both blink and look over at the girls when we see a flash.

“Did…did you just take our picture?” I ask incredulously, with Will still plastered against me.

“I am so tweeting this.” The one called Tammy says.

“ _What_?” Will says, attempting to stand straight. “You can’t —”

“Done.” She says proudly, and Abi groans.

Stacey reaches in to her pocket and pulls her cell out. “I’m retweeting.”

“Quit being weird!” Abi laughs, and begins to corral them away. She looks back at us. “I’m sorry, you guys. I’ll see you later.”

“Later, Abs.” I say.

“That was…” Will begins. “Did that really just happen?”

“Apparently so.” I wait until I’m sure he’s steady on his feet, and then take his hand. “You want to get out of here?”

“That depends.”

“ _Seriously_? On what?”

“On whether I’ve carried on with this palaver long enough to get _seriously_ laid.” His grin is downright devilish.

I laugh, shaking my head, and squeeze his hand. “Will, you achieved that the second you stepped on the ice.”

“Score.”

“Come on, let’s get out of here.” I give his hand a tug.

“Okay, but…you skate in front of me. I want to see if I can do this.”

I turn, skating backwards. “See, I _knew_ you liked it just a little bit.”

“Nope. It sucks. But I want to be able to do it anyway.”

“Go for it.”

I skate just in front of him, ready to catch him if need be. And I can’t deny that I’m proud of his determination, and more than a little in love with the way he holds his arms out for balance and bites his lip when he concentrates.

“Sonny! This is — _whoa_ , wait, this is it, right? Look! I’m doing it, right?”

He looks about as graceful as a puppy on ice, but I haven’t the heart to inform him of this so I just nod my head and congratulate him. “It’s uh…you’re okay.”

He looks genuinely wounded. “What? Screw you, man. I’m awesome!”

I laugh, and step off the ice, watching as he takes the last few steps completely unaided. “You know what? You’re right. I mean, it’s you’re first time skating and you didn’t even fall over once, so —”

There’s a sudden blur of pigtails between us.

“’Scuse me!”

“ _Sonny_!”

Before I can even step back onto the ice, he’s lying flat on his back.

On the upside, all of his limbs are still attached.

~O~

I’m scooping brown rice out of the saucepan and onto our plates when he walks out of my bathroom, wearing nothing but his low riding sweats. Will in nothing but his sweats is pretty much the best thing in the whole world. I just decided that.

“So what’s the damage?”

He glares at me, turns slightly, and then tugs down his sweats with a thumb so as to show just the side of his ass cheek which is now an interesting shade of purple.

I put down the pan. I’m torn between amusement, pity and arousal.

“Will,” I chuckle, and even as I approach him he’s still glaring at me. “Aw, Will. Come on, give me a smile.”

“I hate you.”

“You keep saying that, but your eyes tell a different story.”

“Oh yeah?”

I bite my lip. “Umhm.” I get close enough to my grumpy boyfriend to wrap my arms around his waist.

“What do my eyes say, then?”

I lean in for a kiss, but tease him, pulling back slightly when he leans forward. “They say kiss it better.”

My words have the desired effect. He flushes and looks away with an embarrassed grin, unable to keep up the act of the wounded party. “Well, you did say something about getting seriously laid. So…”

I brush my thumb against his lower lip. I carry a very profound flame for this lip. “Just how hungry are you?”

“I’m starving. But that’s nothing compared to how horny I am.”

I walk him back towards the bed. I steal a quick, teasing kiss from him. “It can be reheated. I think that bruise needs some immediate attention.”

He grins, climbing backwards onto the bed and pulling me with him by the front of my shirt. In no time at all I have him out of those sweats and my lips —despite his initial bashfulness — pay due homage to his war wound.

Our lovemaking is equal parts furious and tender, urgent and savored, romantic and flat out fun. When we’re exhausted, spent and tangled up together, we let a comfortable quietness settles over us. My hand strokes his bruise, my lips brush against his temple and his head rests beneath my chin.

I don’t want to interrupt this perfect moment, but something he said from earlier springs into my head, making me laugh quietly.

“What?” He mumbles into my neck, sounding sleepy.

“I was just thinking. These, uh…these big, brown, Will-melting eyes I have…”

I smile when he groans.

“I knew I shouldn’t have told you that.”

“Do you think they could convince you to give hang gliding a try?”

His back raises and then falls as he lets out a heavy sigh, and he laughs weakly into my neck. “Possibly. I mean…I’ll probably _cry_ the entire time, but…”

I’d never ask my height-fearing boyfriend to go hang gliding, but the fact that he’d consider it fills me with warmth. In fact, I’m pretty sure Will would do just about anything for me. I resolve to always convey to him that this relationship is not a one-way street. It’s give and take. Love and be loved. It’s a balancing act, one that I am wholly content to spend the rest of my life perfecting.

His shoulders twitch and he mumbles sleepily. It’s his lazy way of telling me he’s cold. I pull the edge of the comforter over us and he sighs happily against me. Will is absolutely made for summer. He’s always cold. But that’s okay, because let’s face it.

I was made to keep him warm.

 


End file.
